Donbass

Loznitsa continues his vital explorations of the conflict raging in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region, a hotly contested area marked by an explosive mixture of sectarian and separatist fighting following 2014 uprisings. Taking a kaleidoscopic view of the current conflict, Donbass weaves several storylines— journalists and soldiers on the front lines, honest portraits of poverty-stricken families, and absurdly bureaucratic situations— to create tapestry of the current moment in a country torn apart by violence and naked brutality. Nonetheless, there are moments of humor in Loznitsa’s vital film, but ultimately, he is concerned with the life and death of his country in an era where it seems to have no way out—from both Russian influence and the daily violence terrorizing its citizens. “A vivid achievement.” —Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian. Ukraine’s foreign-language Oscar submission.